Sandy Scofield - President, Friends of the Environmental Trust was our speaker at Lincoln South Rotary Club on August 6. Sandy spoke on the topic of "Citizens as Watchdogs".
This information is a combination of information provided by Sandy and found on the internet.
The Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) was created by the Nebraska Legislature in 1992 for the purposes of environmental conservation and restoration. Projects range from habitat restoration and preservation to water conservation, waste management, recycling and environmental education. Anyone can apply for grants – individuals, organizations, communities and the trust will bring partners together for a collaborative project.
The Trust Directors come from various state agencies including Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Nebraska Department of Environment & Energy, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources and Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
For a grant application to be considered for projects / funds use:
• demonstrate project is environmentally acceptable; shall not cause harm to the environment
• clear and direct environmental benefits
• real contribution to achieving the Trust Board’s environmental categories:
• demonstrate project is environmentally acceptable; shall not cause harm to the environment
• clear and direct environmental benefits
• real contribution to achieving the Trust Board’s environmental categories:
o Habitat
o Surface and Ground Water
o Waste Management
o Air Quality
o Soil Management
• must provide public benefits
• deemed technically feasible
• deemed financially feasible.
• shall not provide direct assistance to regulatory programs
• shall not implement actions mandated by regulations except remediation
• shall not pay for private benefits or provide assistance to projects whose benefits are primarily private in nature
• shall not be used to relieve private liability for environmental damage
• shall not pay for projects which have direct beneficiaries who could afford the costs of the benefits without experiencing serious financial hardship
• shall not pay for land or easements acquired without the full and express consent of the landowner
• deemed technically feasible
• deemed financially feasible.
• shall not provide direct assistance to regulatory programs
• shall not implement actions mandated by regulations except remediation
• shall not pay for private benefits or provide assistance to projects whose benefits are primarily private in nature
• shall not be used to relieve private liability for environmental damage
• shall not pay for projects which have direct beneficiaries who could afford the costs of the benefits without experiencing serious financial hardship
• shall not pay for land or easements acquired without the full and express consent of the landowner
There were more grant projects than the NET anticipated. From 1994 to 2020 there has been more than $350million in grants awarded.
About a year ago, a group of citizens became concerned about whether the NET was fulfilling the expectations laid out in the Nebraska Environmental Trust Act. The group also thought that the applicants were not always getting a fair shake – they were going “through all of the hoops” and yet not approved for the grants.
The Friends of the Nebraska Environmental Trust was formed. The board for the Friends of the Nebraska Environmental Trust includes members from across Nebraska, with varying work and volunteer backgrounds, and with varying political viewpoints. Members include, among others, former State Senators and Former Nebraska Environmental Trust Board Members.
The mission of the Friends of the Nebraska Environmental Trust is to protect the integrity and promises of the Nebraska Environmental Trust through advocacy for good governance and public engagement to assure the Trust's efforts are consistent with the Nebraska Environmental Trust Act to conserve, enhance and restore Nebraska's environment.
Excerpts from a press release published by the Lincoln Journal Star 8-2-20:
Citizens group forms to defend environmental trust fund
In the wake of a controversial decision by the Nebraska Environmental Trust board to defund five conservation projects and award $1.8 million to several gas stations for installation of ethanol-blend pumps, a new citizens group has been formed to advocate for compliance with the trust's environmental mission.
The board's controversial decision in June was directed at funding the ethanol industry and economic development rather than adhering to the statutory requirements that the money must be used to protect the environment.
Click here for the full story.
In a press release March 16, 2021, the group also called for the resignation of Jim Macy from the Board of the Nebraska Environmental Trust. It was pointed out that, under Macy, Director at the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, the environmental disaster at Mead, Nebraska has apparently been ignored since 2015.
Sandy stated that "the friends" are making a difference. They are actively reviewing all actions, attending regular meetings of NET and asking for direct responses to the decisions.
BIO
Sandy Scofield is a retired UNL administrator who headed the Nebraska Math and Science Initiative and the Nebraska Rural Initiative.
Prior to her work at UNL she served as a state senator representing northwest Nebraska and also as Chief of Staff and budget director for Governor Ben Nelson,
Early in her career she taught at Omaha Westside, was an award winning writer for NE Educational TV, led an institution wide planning process at Chadron State College, and worked as a technical writer for Kentron Hawaii Ltd, an aerospace firm in Honolulu.
She and her husband divide their time between Lincoln and Chadron where Sandy continues to manage the farming/ranching property where she was raised.